


i wonder what it's like to be loved by you

by intersectts



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: Dating, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29695527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intersectts/pseuds/intersectts
Summary: "Donna, I may have given her flowers. But I never painted her a bouquet." - In which Harvey and Donna date, kinda talk, and try to figure out what they can be together (post 8.14)
Relationships: Donna Paulsen/Harvey Specter
Kudos: 9





	i wonder what it's like to be loved by you

**Author's Note:**

> *Reposted from FF because I am just super lazy and it's taken me this long*
> 
> Takes place at the end of 8.14 and in my world, Thomas didn't exist in this scene. There are references to Wonder Woman 1984 (because I had just watched it then) so if you don't want to be spoiled, skip date 2, and also because time means nothing anymore, we can also pretend the film came out circa season 8 :)

**i wonder what it's like to be loved by you**

**.**

"Hey.."

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Donna turns at the sound of a familiar voice calling after her.

"Hey."

"I just wanted you to know.."

"Scottie called to thank me, Harvey."

"That's funny, she just called me…"

"Well, I guess she's grateful to both of us…"

"I guess so.."

"Um," Harvey begins, pausing as he looks down. "Did she say something to you.. about.."

"About what?" She doesn't think she blinks as she stares into Harvey's eyes, and she's certain his haven't left hers since she turned around.

An immeasurable amount of time passes between them, neither knowing what to say, before Donna turns slightly to press the elevator's call button.

"Do you want to get dinner tomorrow?" He's said it so quickly that her head snaps back round. "With me." He adds on, as if the clarification were necessary.

It's Donna's turn now to stand there frozen, eyes wide as she gapes at him.

"Sure, why not." The ' _it's been awhile_ ' isn't said but he hears it. "Just let me know what you want in the morning and I'll put the order in."

Harvey clears his throat and Donna tilts her head slightly to the side.

"No, I mean…dinner out."

"Out?" Her forehead wrinkles in confusion. She most certainly hasn't forgotten an anniversary, and even if she had, she's not certain they'd do that together anymore.

Donna's about to ask for clarification before she looks at him, _really_ looks at him and her heart flutters at the tiny possibility he could be asking her _out out._

"Out like…a date?" She says it cautiously, eyes narrowing.

Harvey just nods quickly in response, stuffing his hands in his pant pockets and hoping Donna hadn't seen the slight tremble.

"Okay." Donna says simply.

"Okay?"

"Yes Harvey, I'll go on a date with you." Donna can't help but smile as the words leave her mouth, words she'd never thought she'd be saying.

They stand awkwardly staring at each other, until a cleaning lady asks them to move as she navigates between them.

"You want me to…" She doesn't finish asking if she should book the table, knowing Harvey would know what she was thinking. It was, after all, something she'd done for him for nearly a decade as his secretary.

"No, no, I can do it." Harvey says quickly. Too quickly perhaps.

"You've made reservations already, haven't you?" She smirks, turning on her heels to reach for the elevator call button.

"That, perhaps, could be a possibility…" Harvey tries to act nonchalant but she smirks as she can see right through him. Especially when he's got that shit-eating grin on his face.

"You were so sure I'd say yes?" Donna raises an eyebrow, she's genuinely curious now.

The ding of the elevator signals its arrival and she once again turns and steps in, turning to face him to catch his response.

"I just hoped the answer would never be a no…" He says quietly, with earnest sincerity shimmering in his eyes. The doors begin their slow close and he offers a smile as he says,

"Goodnight, Donna."

The last thing Harvey sees before the elevator doors fully close is her face, eyes wide as she digests his answer and mouth frozen in an 'o' shape. His phone buzzes not long after and he smiles as he reads over the two words, _Goodnight Harvey._

_._

_._

_._

To Donna's surprise, they don't go to Del Posto or Carbone. They don't, in fact, go anywhere either of them have ever been before together. She'd tried to get it out of him in the car but Harvey had been incredibly tight-lipped. Ray even seemed to be in on it and had pretended to not hear her asking where they were going.

The car comes to a stop and Harvey's out and opening her door in no time, before she's ever had a chance to gather her purse. Placing her hand in his proffered one, she lets herself be gently pulled out of the car and takes a look around. Even though it's dark out, she can't help but admire the beauty of the restaurant before them. It's not loud or imposingly tall, but two floors high and situated on the street corner. Large wooden framed windows offer an inviting look inside, at the soft lighting and elegant tables. If it had been warmer, she supposes the rows of potted plants lining the entrance would be replaced with tables and the red flowered vines snaking around the front would be obscured.

"Petit Boucherie?" She attempts her best French accent and looks at Harvey

"You might need to work on that accent before you go to Paris, I hear they're rather particular about that…"

"Like you could do better…"

Donna wasn't sure what she was expecting in response, but it definitely wasn't Harvey turning to speak to her in French. Delivering a sentence so short it's over before he's begun, and she _knows_ that he's perfected it just to own her. And she walked right into it.

"You coming, or what?" And now Donna's even more sure, especially when he flashes her his signature grin and winks as she stands frozen in the doorway.

When they're finally seated and have both ordered, Harvey beams at Donna as he asks.

"So, what's new with you?"

Donna doesn't quite know where to start, they haven't exactly found their way back to being completely what they were before it all went to hell, and they've known each other for so long that they don't need to do the small talk. And, he's not looking at her like he's asking her as a friend, so she can't exactly tell him about the few disastrous dates she'd had with a client of Louis'. So she ends up launching into a thrillingly boring story about how she'd broken her coffee machine earlier that week, and instead of changing the subject he'd listened and interjected as enthusiastically as one could. And upon returning from the bathroom, he'd avoided her gaze and it's only when she checks her phone that she sees he'd sent her suggestions for a replacement.

.

When they arrive at her building, Harvey insists on walking her up to her door and Donna can't do anything to quell the fire burning within her. She looks over her shoulder as they come to a stop in front of her door.

"Do you want to come in?"

"I do.."

Donna turns and places the key in the lock, just as she's about to turn it she hears him speak again.

"But I won't, not tonight."

Scrunching her forehead, she whips back around to face him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Harvey steps forward, not too close but closer than two friends would probably stand.

"I want to do this properly."

"This?"

"Dating you…"

"Dating me. Like there will be, multiple dates?" Donna stutters, testing the word 'date' in her mouth.

"Dates. Yes." He confirms. "Multiple."

Donna tells herself she's only pausing to consider it to see Harvey squirm, when in reality she's trying to assess what exactly is going on. If Harvey was ready for something more between them or if he had some ulterior motive.

"I don't put out until after the fourth date."

"Fourth _?_ " He splutters as his eyes widen impossibly so.

Donna narrows her own at him, " _Fifth._ "

Harvey nods, he knows he'll respect her no matter what, that's never an issue. But he wants something more with her now, something that she's asked for in the past but he's never been able to give her.

"Alright, two dates each." _For starters_. He doesn't mean to imply there's a limit to this thing between them, because he hopes to god he'll be taking her on dates for the rest of their lives.

"Is this a challenge?" Her eyes glinting.

"You're going down Paulsen…" He taunts before the expression is swept from his face, replaced by a long gulp as he tracks Donna's eyes following the length of his body, wide with lust as she stops at the bulge in his pants. She can't help but wet her lips.

It takes everything in him to stay put, to not tell her to forget about everything he just said and to not push her up against the door and ask her to invite him inside again. But when he said he wanted to do this properly, he meant it. His desire to show her that he's ready to be everything he never thought they could be, _that's_ greater than his primal desires.

"We'll see about that." She steps forward and presses a chaste kiss on his cheek, "Goodnight Harvey."

.

.

.

" _Wonder Woman_?" Donna arches an eyebrow as the wait in line at the concessions stand.

"What can I say, I've heard the plot is interesting…" They get to the front of the line and he's ordered them a medium sized popcorn to share and gestured for her to get whatever she wanted.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's the plot you're interested in." She points to a bag of sour strawberry sweets and he smirks at her in response.

The film starts and Harvey lets out a low, " _hot damn_ " which she thinks is only a show for her benefit, judging by the flirty look he sends her as he wiggles his eyebrows.

" _Shut up.."_ She snorts, gently smacking him in the chest and they both erupt in a quiet fit of giggles.

Harvey continues his commentary throughout the film, not because he's one of those annoying people who talks throughout. But because he'd much rather watch Donna smile or attempt to stifle a laugh or tell him to shut up than watch anything else.

Considering they've been sharing the same box of popcorn, Donna's surprised that their hands haven't met more than once. Maybe the surreptitious glances she'd felt were more him checking if the box was free, instead of watching her like she'd thought. So she almost jumps back when she reaches into the box once again and feels Harvey's hand brush against hers. She's about to fully retract her hand and give him more room to scoop out the popcorn, when she feels his hand reach out for hers again.

" _I've been lying to you, I'm not a great guy…"_

When Harvey threads his fingers through hers and takes their joined hands to rest on his thigh, she knows it wasn't an accident.

" _And I made terrible mistakes.."_

Her eyes are glued to the screen as she wonders if she's imagining things, or if Harvey really did grip her hand just a bit tighter.

_"But you, you don't ever have to make a wish for me to love you. I'm here because I love you..I just… I just wish and I pray that one day I'll be able to make you proud enough for you to forgive me. And love me.."_

Donna bites her lip as she feels Harvey's thumb gently stroke her hand and she's sure, now more than ever that whatever this is that they've started, is different to anything they've ever had before.

_"I don't need you to make me proud, I already love you…"_

Harvey lets out a deep breath when he feels Donna's hand squeeze his back.

.

They don't talk when the credits roll, or when they get up and throw their trash away and walk out into the street, beginning an aimless journey away from the cinema.

"So.. uh, is that…?" Donna begins, but stops herself because she was going to say 'is that it?' and somehow she feels like it would sound rude. And quite frankly, she doesn't want the date to end.

Harvey scratches his head as they begin walking, checking his watch. "It's still kind of early…"

Donna looks around the area, spying a charming looking café across the street.

"We could go for coffee?" Pointing across the street.

"Just so we're clear, the film was my idea. The coffee, is yours. But this is still _my_ date _, okay?"_

Donna rolls her eyes at him and says deal as they cross the street and enter the quaint café. It's not until Harvey's opened the door that he lets go of her hand, and it's _only then_ that she realises he'd been holding onto it since the ending of the film.

.

"So, what did you think of it?" Harvey asks when they've finally sat down on a small table, just big enough for them. They sit side-by-side, shoulders brushing.

Donna slowly drags in the fork in her mouth, trying to savour the remnants of the cheesecake they'd split between them.

"I think despite it's many problems," She says slowly, "It did have its merits."

"The morality aspect, in particular that ending. About forgiveness…" She trails off, looking up to find Harvey watching her intently. He hums in response.

"You think he could be forgiven?'

"I think," Donna pauses to choose her word carefully, "That depending on who he was asking, he would be, yes."

"Even after he just took and took from everyone, and didn't seem to care who he hurt in the process?"

"Wouldn't you do anything to be with the one you love?" The words come out of her mouth before she can stop them and she watches as Harvey flexes his jaw ever so slightly.

"I suppose the fear of losing his son, that he wasn't good enough, it ended up controlling him."

Donna nods as she fiddles with the fork.

"Fear is such a powerful emotion," Harvey watches her, quiet as she continues. "And you know, people don't always act in the most rational ways when they're scared because they're ultimately afraid to.."

"Because they're afraid to lose everything."

The conversation, like everything between them, is so blurred that Donna really can't tell if they're still talking about the film or if they ever were to begin with. So she just lets out a low "Yeah" in response.

"It's a good thing he finally came to his senses then, for his son. And that his son wasn't ready to let him go."

Donna finally places her fork on the table and looks directly into Harvey's eyes, "I think, there's just some people you can't let go of or cut out of you… no matter how many times you try."

While they're only two dates into this, they're actually _years_ in and Harvey raises a hand to her face, thumb brushing her cheek, asking her silently for permission. Given their close proximity, Donna moves her head ever so slightly and their lips meet in the most gentlest of kisses. It's soft, sweeter than the cheesecake they'd just shared between them and different to any other kiss they've shared before. It's not fun and flirty or demanding, it's her lips parted ever so slightly, offering an invitation into a future with her, and Harvey thinks it's probably one of the best kisses he's had in his life.

.

.

.

They both forget about their third date, neither having the foresight to know what a hectic week at the firm they'd both have. It seemed like crisis after crisis had pulled them in all different directions, stretching them to their limits and they'd spent nearly every waking hour at the firm, going home only to sleep for a few hours and change clothes before starting the cycle again.

It all seems to wind down on Friday, and as the clock strikes 7pm, Donna lets out a massive sigh of relief as she realises she doesn't have to return to the firm for another 48 hours. She's about to pack up her bag when she sees her calendar and her eyes widen as she sees a missed event highlighted in red.

_Thursday, 7:30pm Harvey._

_Shit,_ she smacks a hand to her forehead as she remembers the reservations she'd made for the the day before. There's no way they would've been able to get away for dinner but she can't believe she'd forgotten it entirely. Especially after what had happened the Sunday before. Donna brings a finger to her lips, ghostly tracing them as she remembers the soft feeling of Harvey's lips on hers, how gentle and familiar he'd been.

Deciding that she can _somehow_ salvage the date, even 24 hours after the agreed time, she grabs her phone and within no time, she's on her way to his office armed with a bottle of wine and a carrier bag of her favourite Thai takeout.

"Hey…" She enters his office with a bright smile, which only gets brighter seeing his relieved face as he steps up from behind his desk to meet her.

"What's all this?" Harvey reaches out and grabs the bag from her hands, closing his eyes as the aromatic scents fill his senses. He sets it on his desk beside him as he leans on it, itt's been a long week and he's wanted nothing more than to see her and go home and sleep it all off.

"We, uh, we missed out date yesterday… I'm not sure if you rememb-"

Harvey does a double take, checking his phone for the day and eyes widening and mouth opening slightly.

"Donna, I'm so sorry… this week has been so hectic.."

"So, you still want to?" She gestures between them, _you still want to do this thing._ "The kiss didn't…"

"What?! No!" Harvey says panicked, reaching out to hold her hands in his. She's pulled towards him, between his legs as he sits perched on his desk. They stand smiling at each other until Harvey realises her perky breasts are in his direct line of vision and she just _had_ to wear that dress with the cape and the plunging neckline.

And it's like time and oxygen have been suspended and they're just staring at each other, daring, wanting or hoping the other to make the first move.

"Maybe we should uh," Harvey gestures back to the bag of food on his desk.

"Yeah, yeah…" Donna nods, making her way over to the sofa.

"You really had to get _Thai…_ " He say the word like it burns his tongue as he makes his way over to her, removing his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves. "Did you at least get the…?"

"I doubled it.."

"Have I told you that you're incredible?"

"Not today."

They settle on the couch, passing boxes of Thai between them until they've finished and now they're just trading stories. Neither have been paying attention to the time until a custodian arrives to take the trash, asking them if they're finished with the boxes strewn across the coffee table. Harvey gets up immediately, collecting their finished boxes and placing them in the trash before wishing him a good evening.

"We should probably get out of here…" Harvey laments, checking the time and grimacing when he sees _9:27pm_ illuminated.

Having sent Ray home hours ago, Harvey strides with purpose as he scans the streets for a taxi, moving closer to the curb when he sees a familiar yellow vehicle coming towards them. He's just about to stick his arm out when he turns and notices Donna's no longer in step beside him.

"What's wrong?" She's a few metres behind him now, looking to her right.

"Nothing, nothing. I just needed to get some essentials this evening and I have this yoga class tomorrow morning and-"

Harvey shrugs his shoulders, walking back over to her, "Okay, let's go."

"Go where?" Donna calls, after walking over to her, Harvey had gotten a few steps away.

"Trader Joe's? There's one a block away or is there somewhere else you want to go?" He pulls out his phone, ready to check the next closest grocery store.

"You want to go grocery shopping with me? On a Friday night?"

"Yeah." Harvey says simply, turning away from her once again and heading in the direction of the store.

They're in the snack aisle when Donna realises this is the most domestic thing she's ever done with someone. When they'd entered the store, Harvey had grabbed a basket and refused to let her carry it, following her as she navigated around and picked various items off the shelves.

Now he's stand there in his suit, standing patiently and watching her as she weighs up the pros and cons of two cookie boxes in her hands.

"I think you need to redefine what you class as essentials…" Or not so patiently.

"This is an important decision, Harvey."

"Oh yeah I'm sure," Harvey steps closer as he looks at her choices. "Never has anyone had a harder decision to make than the choice between peanut butter chocolate cookies and… _Joe-Joe's Slims_."

She shakes her head at him, muttering "Idiot." Before she thinks that he could make himself more useful and get some other stuff on her list. "Why don't we divide and conquer, I'll make this _incredibly_ important decision, and you can go get me some yoghurt and almond milk."

It's another five minutes of looking at the boxes before Donna decides to just get them both and walks through the aisles looking for Harvey. She finds him waiting near the checkouts and he holds out the basket for her to check. Donna doesn't say anything, but she sees the strawberry yoghurt and can't help but smile.

"Did I forget something?" She looks over and sees him looking genuinely nervous.

"Nope. I should get you to do my shopping more often."

"In your dreams."

After she pays, the once again find themselves out in the street, it being fairly quieter now, in search of a taxi.

"Sorry this date kinda sucked…"

Harvey turns his head and looks at her smiling as he sticks out his arm, signalling for an oncoming taxi to stop.

"It didn't suck Donna, I had a good time…"

"You don't have to appease me Harvey, dinner in your office and a trip to Trader Joe's isn't exactly thrilling…"

She smiles her thanks as he opens the door for her and she leans in to deposit her stuff in the back seat. With her back to him and her half in the car, Harvey's sure she won't be able to hear his response so whispers..

"No, but it's real."

When she turns back to face him, she gives no indication that she had indeed heard him. Instead she bites her lip as one arm rests on the open taxi door. He steps towards her, placing a kiss on her awaiting lips.

"You uh..want to-" She says breathlessly, gesturing to the taxi.

"Not tonight Donna." He presses another kiss to her lips before ushering her in the car, asking her to text him when she makes it back.

As the taxi drives off, she turns around and sees him watching her off.

.

.

.

It's a Wednesday when Donna realises she and Harvey have settled into being a _something,_ having found a new normal with each other that they haven't yet addressed. It feels different to before, and now it's natural for her to reach for her phone in the morning and smile at the waiting text from him, and she texts him in the evening like she breathes, without thinking.

In addition to their weekly dates, they spend more time together than they really need to, making sure they've spoken at least once a day. He brings her a coffee every morning, indulging her every so often with a white mocha with sweet cream cold foam and extra caramel drizzle, and she finds herself stopping by his office more, pretending to make sure he's eaten and hydrated but in reality she just wants to see him.

There's something different about this side of Harvey she's seeing, it's so much more intimate than the two of them laying together in sheets. She's seen glimpses of it before, when he's presented her with flowers or taken her to the closing night of one of her performances. And now she wants him more than ever. She's not trying to blow through dates just so she can blow him, though she definitely wants that too. Donna can't deny the ripples that run through her body when his hand lingers on any part of her, when she catches him staring at her full of want and lust. While the kisses are so innocent and exploratory, she could just about _die_ with how safe and comfortable they make her feel.

So when Harvey enters her office that afternoon and asks her to explain, at length, something so ridiculously simple and easy that she definitely knows he knows the answer to, she thinks that maybe, he also feels the same.

.

.

.

It's another week until their next date, on a Saturday, and Donna's almost giddy as she walks to their designated meeting spot. While they've both enjoyed the after-work dinners, there's just something so exciting about seeing each other on a day when they don't _have_ to but _choose_ to. She spots him on the corner and bounds up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him. On seeing her, Harvey simultaneously presses a coffee cup into her hands and a kiss to her lips like it's the most normal thing in the world.

"Where are we going? Donna?"

"On our date."

" _Donna._ "

"Yes, Harvey?" She quips, taunting him.

"You think you're a real comedian don't you?"

"Just one of my many hidden talents.." Donna's voice is low and it ends with a wink and Harvey wishes she were leading him to bed and not to… he looks up as the stop outside a tall, imposing building.

_New York Academy of Art_

"Art exhibition?"

"Art _class…"_ Donna says, chewing the inside of her lip as she searches his face for a sign she's perhaps gone too far. "A friend of mine told me they run beginners classes every other weekend, I thought maybe we could…"

"This is…" His eyes well up as he tries to find the word, Donna wraps her hands around his arm as she leans up to rest her head on his shoulder. "It's really perfect. Thank you."

.

They're quickly seated in the class with about ten others in the large room. The instructor had spent the first hour with the going through the basics of sketching and Donna couldn't keep her eyes off of Harvey as he stared intently at his canvass. After an hour, the begin sketching and painting various objects, starting with vases until a large bouquet of flowers is put in the centre of the room.

"You know Harvey," Donna says after awhile, her eyes focused on her own painting in front of her.

"You said we were doing this properly, but this is the first time you, me and flowers have been in the same room. I would've thought during our first date…"

"Oh, I didn't know if women still liked that kind of thing…" He looks over, putting his own paint brush down.

Donna laughs, "You've not been out of the game for _that_ long, didn't you ever give Pau-"

And then she stops herself because they haven't once spoken about Harvey and Paula, and she actually never wants to, not those details anyway. Donna's frozen, reflecting on how casually she'd brought up his previous relationship, like she were his wingman telling him ways to improve his game.

"I'm sorry…" He says quietly, wanting to reach out to her but not sure if he can. She's not looked at him since she'd brought up Paula's name, instead hiding behind her own canvass.

"No, it's okay. You don't need to…" _Apologise for having a past, a life without me._

"Donna," he says softly and his heart drops when she still doesn't look up, "I may have given her flowers."

The vulnerability in his voice compels her to turn and face him.

"But I never painted her a bouquet." _And for you, I'd paint a whole damn gallery._

Donna bites her lip as her eyes take in the painting before her, it's not a work of art, would probably get a solid 'B' if they were taking an exam. But he's tried for her so she thinks it's the prettiest bouquet of flowers she's ever received. Donna doesn't know what to say so she just smiles and it only grows wider as she sees the relief wash over his face - _they're going to be okay._

_._

_._

_._

Even though it's technically Donna's turn to plan their next date, Harvey had insisted he host it. So Donna turns up at his apartment, in one of the tightest dresses she owns and heels that seem to make her legs look like they go on forever. She looks good and feels even better, the anticipation of weeks of dates, of flirting, innocent touches and kisses finally culminating in this evening.

She glances down at her outfit one more time before carefully raising a hand to knock on his door. She's got a box of cheesecake, from the place they'd visited during their second date, and a bottle of wine tucked under her arm.

"Hi…" She beams as the door opens.

" _Hi.._ " Harvey chokes out, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he takes in her outfit.

"Wow, you look…." Hot. Stunning. Like a goddamn meal. "Beautiful."

Donna blushes as his hand, reaching for the wine, brushes against her breast and she presses a kiss to his lips before pulling herself away. She walks to the kitchen, spying the various appliances set out in advance of her arrival.

"So…what are we having?"

Harvey hands her a glass of wine, gulping as their fingers brush. God, he thinks, he feels like a teenager around her.

"Pasta."

She doesn't realise she's still staring at him until he beams as he gently nudges her with his shoulder.

"I saw this recipe, I thought it would be fun if we made it together."

"Have you ever made pasta before?"

Harvey's got his back to her, head in a cupboard as he's searching for ingredients so she can't quite fully hear his response.

"I saw it on the cooking channel…" He repeats, turning around to look at her with eggs and flour in each of his hands.

"You watch the cooking channel?" Donna laughs, arching an eyebrow as she steps closer to him, reading the recipe he'd printed and placed on the counter. It didn't exactly look hard so she supposes between the two of them, they could figure it out.

"Sometimes, when I need a break from _Survivor._ "

"Who _are you?_ "

And he snorts in response, _oh there's so much you don't know._

Clearing his throat, Harvey glances over her body once more and Donna shifts as she feels his roaming eyes.

"As much as I, _love,_ that dress…I wouldn't want it to get ruined…"

"Hm, you are right…" Donna looks down and flicks off some invisible thread. "I have some leggings in my bag… you know, for if I got cold."

"You know where my bedroom is, just grab whatever you want." Harvey says simply and Donna can only nod in response.

.

Harvey's measured out the ingredients by the time Donna makes her way back and he looks up as she pads barefoot towards him. She'd managed to find his old Harvard t-shirt and swept her hair up in a messy bun. And Harvey can't help but think that while the dress she'd arrived in made her look unbelievably sexy, seeing her in his clothes does more to him than a dress or piece of lingerie ever could. She looks like his and she looks like home.

He's so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't realise she's next to him until she touches his arm.

"Let's go chef."

.

It takes them a little longer than the recipe says but they finally end up sitting down with oddly shaped pasta between them. Bringing a piece to both of their lips, they decide to bite in tandem.

"This is…"

"Awful.."

And they both burst out laughing.

"Donna, I'm so sorry…"

"Harvey, this isn't your fault… we're both responsible for this…"

"It's not too late to order something? Shitty Thai again?"

Donna thinks about it for a second, she's so hungry she's not sure she can wait. "Why don't we just skip to dessert?"

.

It takes them a few moments to reposition themselves so that they're settled on the couch, facing each other as they balance the cheesecake between them. Despite their talking, it doesn't take long for either of them to demolish the treat, washed down by several bottles of wine.

"I can't believe we've finished this whole cheesecake…" Donna exclaims as she falls back against the sofa, bringing a hand to her stomach as she groans dramatically.

Harvey laughs, getting up to pick up the plate and their glasses, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. He looks over at Donna, who'd somehow managed to overcome her fullness and reach for the remote. She's lying back against his couch, thumbing her way through his television channels in search of god knows what.

"You want some tea?" He calls across to her, turning the kettle on just in case.

"Hm?" Her brow arches and she turns her head, peaking over the top of the couch to see Harvey plucking two mugs from a cupboard. "You have tea?"

He makes his way back, offering her a mug and she wraps her hands around it and takes a sniff. She doesn't say anything and Harvey doesn't either, but when she recognises the familiar scent and taste of her favourite tea, it's not the hot liquid that warms her.

.

The sounds of an advert wake Harvey first, who wipes a combination of sleep and confusion from his eyes as he looks down at the woman sleepily peacefully next to him. In his mind, the tea last night had been a good idea, but it had only served to push them over the edge and not long after tuning into a film, they'd promptly fallen asleep against each other.

He gets up quietly and stretches the knots out of his back. As if on autopilot, he switches on the coffee machine and immediately turns it off when the loud grumble fills the room and he hears a soft moan from the couch.

"Sorry I woke you.. I was just trying to get us some coffee." He says apologetically, switching the machine back on now she too is awake.

"No it's okay, you moved." Donna replies sleepily, standing up and pulling down his t-shirt over her body. And then he watches as her hands stop, pulling out the bottom of his t-shirt, almost as if she can't believe she's wearing it.

"We didn't have sex." It's a statement but it leaves her mouth like a question and Harvey would laugh if he didn't see the wheels churning in her head.

"No, we didn't." Harvey approaches her cautiously.

"I did say after five dates and then…" She says nervously, biting her lip.

"This wasn't about _sex_ Donna." He says it in a tone like he's offended, and _he is_ , by the implication that this was all just a ploy to get her into bed. Surely she'd felt the same things he'd been feeling over the last few weeks.

"It wasn't?" She'd hoped it wasn't, ever since their second date she'd felt it all change. But they'd never explicitly discussed _them_ and she's in too deep now, she has to be sure and _has_ to hear it from him.

"I want a life with you Donna," He looks at her stunned expression, and yeah, he thinks, he's shocked at his own levels of personal development too. But after the debacle with Paula, he's taken stock and evaluated his life, where he wants to be and who he wants in it. And it's a life where grocery shopping with her on a Friday is the highlight of his week; a life where falling asleep on the sofa, full of wine and cheesecake and completely intoxicated by her, is the best combination of just about anything.

"I know I haven't been able to tell you certain things before." _Like how I love you,_ "But, you and I are forever. If you want it?"

She's quiet for what feels like eternity and for a split second, Harvey thinks that perhaps what they've been doing, hasn't meant the same thing to her.

"You want to get brunch?" Donna finally asks and the biggest grin dances across his face.

"Yeah, I do. But you're paying."

"No way Harvey, you just proposed and-"

"Donna that wasn't a proposal!"

" _But you and I are forever_." She mimics him. "What else does that mean?"

Harvey only makes a series of sounds and his face contorts in response, "You'll _know_ when I propose."

"Oo-kay." Donna replies in a singsong voice.

She's moving in the direction of his bathroom, him close behind, when he makes a sound and she turns as she sees he's stopped, standing several metres away from her and looking at her intently.

"Harvey?"

"I just forgot something…" And in several long strides, her face is in his hands and his lips are on hers. It's when her back meets a wall that she's about to suggest they forget all about food and revisit each other. That is, until her stomach lets out a loud grumble and instead of kissing her, he's laughing against her lips.

"Let's get you fed." _We have a lifetime for everything else._

* * *

_Thanks for reading!_


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